


Little Miracles

by thraxbaby



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Babies, Cute, Family Fluff, Multi, OT3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-15 18:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13619598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thraxbaby/pseuds/thraxbaby
Summary: The Asra/Julian/MC OT3 start their family! Starring my apprentice, Ramona.





	1. The Pregnancy

It was like a miracle, waking up every morning next to the two people Ramona loved most. She knew she loved Asra, but once Ilya crash-landed into her life, she was determined to save the moody, dramatic mess of a man. She knew both her loves had history of their own, but that was all cleared up one evening when she sat them both down at the dining table and told them to talk, to clear any miscommunication between them. It worked and they were much more civil to each other. 

Then one night, the three went out for drinks. Before dawn, the three of them fell into bed, kissing every inch of skin they could find. Morning brought blushes and stuttered apologies... and a confession.

"Is it wrong that I want this?" Ramona asked her lovers. "I love you both and to rip my heart in half to choose only one of you... It would kill me." She looked between them with her big brown eyes and saw equal looks of love and relief. And so their strange relationship began. 

Ramona would wake to Asra curling up against her, his head on her chest, and the nutty aroma of Julian's coffee coming from downstairs. Ramona would lounge in bed long enough to wake up properly before joining Ilya in the kitchen and starting breakfast. When breakfast was just about ready, Asra would come down and greet them both with a kiss. Ramona would plate their breakfast and they'd eat together before doing whatever they had to do during the day. By bedtime, they'd usually crawl into bed and enjoy each other's company with as little clothing as possible.

Their routine lasted for a few months. Then everything changed; Ramona got sick. A wave of nausea had her tripping over Asra to reach something to vomit in. Asra stared at her, his heart pounding. Ilya heard the commotion and rushed upstairs to help his love. He went into doctor mode, checking if she had a fever, asking if she might have eaten something different. Ramona replied that she didn't have anything different that they didn't have as well. He went through the options in his head. One possibility made his eye go wide.

"Ramona... you could be pregnant." The words surprised them all. Pregnant? The thought terrified her, and yet... raising a little one that looked like Asra or Ilya... 

"Ramona?" Julian looked to her, concerned. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm... terrified, but... I want this baby." Ramona smiled. She was pregnant! She was going to be a mother! Julian seemed to be having similar thoughts because he had a huge grin on his face. 

"I'm going to be a Papa!" Julian's eye watered up. For so long, he had thought he would be hung from the gallows with no hope for a future. Ramona, his ray of sunshine, changed that by proving his innocence. She loved him effortlessly and gave him everything he ever could have wanted. 

"We're going to need a bigger place." Asra commented. As it was, the shop was cluttered with items, magical and personal. Even if they completely cleared out the bedroom, there was simply not enough room for one more. 

\---

They decided to break the news to their friends five weeks into the pregnancy. They gathered at the palace for brunch, a little get together they did every once in a while. Julian was fidgety, excited to tell his sister the news. Portia noticed this and eyed the three of them over the plates of food.

"How is business?" Nadia asked.

"Good." Ramona answered. "We've actually been thinking of expanding the shop, give Ilya an office to work from, add some more living space. We definitely need a bigger bed, now that it's the three of us." Ramona glanced to Asra, who subtly nodded. "And, you know, a room for the baby." Ramona said it so casually, it took a second for it to register. Nadia paused, her eyes wide in surprise. Portia gasped. 

"You're pregnant?" Ramona smiled and nodded. Portia laughed and cried at the same time and pulled the expectant parents into a tight hug. "I'm going to be an aunt!" Portia stepped back and gasped.

"You need a baby party!" Portia exclaimed. 

"A... baby party?" Ramona raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes," Julian cut in. "Back home, the community would throw a party for an expectant mother. There's food, dancing, gifts and prayers for the baby... It's great. I remember the party we had for Pasha. I didn't want it to end."

"I would be happy to host it here." Nadia said. "And I am willing to help with the house search. Though, my offer still stands to live here at the palace."

"Thank you, Nadia. And no, I like being at the shop. But maybe we can find a place closer to the palace? It would be nice not to have to walk half a day to get here."

"Yes, that would be preferable. Though I might miss our sleepovers..." Nadia said, smiling slyly at her friend.

"We can still have sleepovers." Ramona said. "Though maybe if I lived closer, I wouldn't want to fall asleep as soon as I got here."

"I'll find you three the perfect house if I have to build it myself." Nadia promised.

...

Ramona stared at her reflection in the mirror. 

"Hun?"

"Hmm?" Julian looked up from the book he was reading. 

"I think I'm having twins." Julian's eye widened and he put his book to the side.

"How do you know?"

"I don't know, I just have a feeling." Ramona ran her hands over the slight bump of her stomach. Julian joined her by the mirror, settling his chin on top of her head and wrapping his arms around her. One of his hands joined hers on her belly. 

"You really think it's twins?" Julian smiled.

"Yes." 

"We're really going to need the extra room. How's the new house going?"

"Good. You should see it, Ilya. The property is so beautiful! There's room for a garden and the kids to play, Asra will have his space for tarot readings, you'll have your office, we'll have a bed that fits the three of us..." Julian listened to his love go on and on about their new house. Nadia had gifted them the property and paid for an architect to build them the perfect house. It was nice, being friends with the Countess. 

"It sounds amazing." Julian said.

"It is. It will be." 

...

"Asra!" Ramona squeaked as he came from the back room. 

"Is everything okay?" Asra asked.

"Yes, just feel this!" Ramona took his hand and held it against her stomach. He felt movement beneath the stretched muscle. 

"They're kicking!" He grinned. He felt a tiny foot push against his hand. Or was that a hand? Could've been an elbow... Whatever it was, it came from the tiny life (or lives) growing inside Ramona. 

"Have you been thinking of names?" Asra asked. 

"Yeah. Actually..." Ramona pulled out a parchment from her pocket with names written on it. There were two columns: one for boy names and one for girls. Some were scribbled out, others had stars next to them. Asra laughed.

"I've been doing the same thing." Asra pulled out his own list. They say there, comparing lists.

"Robin, Poppy, Amethyst... Pomegranate? You'd name your child Pomegranate?" Asra blushed a little. 

"I think at that point, it became my shopping list." Asra looked over his list again. Yes, after pomegranates was pumpkin bread, tea, and honey, which he still hasn't gotten. Oops. 

"Good afternoon, my loves." Julian greeted as he entered the shop. "Ah, what do we have here?"

"Comparing shopping lists, apparently." Ramona quipped. Asra just smiled.

"Thinking of baby names." Asra answered.

"Oh! I've made my own list. Erm... where did I put it?" Julian pulled out his own list and set it on the counter beside them. Julian's illegible scrawlings took up the entire page.

"Ilya, no one can read this." Asra said. Ramona took the paper and squinted.

"I can read it. It just... takes a while..." Julian's writting was absolutely atrocious, but Ramona was able to get some names out of it. Alexei... Nikolai... Ilya Jr... Pasha Jr... Is that one Asra Jr.? Gods, Ilya was precious. 

...

It was perfect. Their new home was finally ready. The front room was stocked with potions and herbs and everything Ramona used for her business. A curtain separated the store from the little room where Asra did his tarot readings. Another doorway led to Julian's office, where he would take patients. A bookshelf on one wall was filled with medical books. 

Upstairs was their bedroom with plenty of room for a wardrobe, a dresser, and a very large bed. Ilya would be able to stretch out and still have room for Asra and Ramona. Even Faust had a place or two to rest. There was also a separate bathroom, where they could bathe in private, rather than in the corner of the bedroom. And the tub! Ilya loved that he could finally bathe without scrunching up into a ball.

Then there was the twins' room. Two cribs sat against a wall, with a dresser against another, along with a chest of toys. Ramona rubbed a hand over her enormous stomach. As she got bigger, she became more sure it was twins. Now, they were closing in on their due date. Ilya guessed it could be some time this next week. 

"It's perfect." Asra commented. He and Ilya just finished hanging up the new sign. A trio of symbols graced it: a medical staff with a snake resembling Faust wound around it, a crystal ball, and a potion vial. Their three services. Ilya's medical care, Asra's magic, and Ramona's potions and herbs, which tied the two together. 

"You should be resting, my love." Julian told Ramona. "You are nine months pregnant. You should be resting inside."

"My legs got restless. And my butt fell asleep. Besides, I wanted to be with you two." Ramona answered. 

"Nope, doctor's orders. Get back inside." Julian led her back onto the house. He set her up in the bedroom, making sure she was comfy. He sat beside her, a hand on her stomach to feel his children moving. He was excited to meet them. A tiny foot bumped under his hand.

"They're getting restless." Ramona commented. "Only a matter of time..."

"Yeah." Julian smiled. He kissed her stomach, then her lips. "I need to make sure Asra didn't fall asleep again. I'll be back in a few minutes. Ramona huffed, but stayed in bed.

...

Ramona was at home, spending time with Nadia and Portia. Asra and Julian were out and Ramona needed some company. Ramona was finishing up in the bathroom when it happened. Her water broke. She was going into labor!

"Portia?" Ramona called to her friend. She waddled out to the bedroom where her friends were. "Could you go find Ilya? It's happening." Portia jumped up from the bed. 

"Okay, I'll find him. Don't have the babies without me!" Portia yelled out as she ran from the room.

"I don't think that's my decision!" Ramona yelled after her. 

Portia ran through the streets of Vesuvia. She was looking for her brother, but she spotted Asra in the market. 

"Asra!" She ran up to him, breathless. 

"Portia? What's wrong? Is Ramona okay?" Asra questioned.

"The babies are coming! Have you seen Ilya?" Asra nodded and ran with Portia to the house where Julian was working. He was just walking out when he spotted the two running. 

"Ilya! Ramona's having the babies! Get your butt over there!" Portia yelled at him. The three of them ran back to the shop, mentally preparing themselves for whatever was to happen.

They burst through the door and up the stairs. Ramona was on the bed, being calmed by Nadia. Julian went into doctor mode and ordered Asra to get some towels. He asked Ramona how far apart her contractions were, if her water broke already, and how she was feeling. He guided her to breathe and told her he was going to check her dilation. 

Ramona blushed as Julian reached under her skirt. It was uncomfortable with their friends - and his sister! - right there. He could feel the top of a baby's head already. 

"I think you're ready to start pushing." Julian said. Meanwhile, Asra came back with the towels. They spread them beneath Ramona to better protect the bed and told her to push. Nadia and Asra held Ramona's hands, while Portia dabbed at her sweating forehead with a damp cloth. It was painful, pushing the baby out. Ramona cried out, but Julian kept saying encouraging words to keep her pushing. 

Ramona let out a cry and the first baby came out. Julian's face lit up with a grin.

"It's a girl!" Ramona sighed. Her baby's cries in the otherwise quiet room was like music to her ears. Ramona watched Julian clean their daughter up and noticed the little wisp of red hair on her head. She was definitely Ilya's. When their daughter was placed on her mother's chest, her cries diminished. Everyone marveled over the tiny newborn. 

It was an entire hour before the second baby decided to be born. Same as before, Julian talked her through the birth and the second twin was born. 

"It's a boy!" He was cleaned up, same as his sister, and given to his mother. His head was covered in snow white curls - exactly like Asra. 

"What are you going to name them?" Portia asked once everything had calmed down. She cooed over her niece and nephew, who were sleeping in their fathers' arms. 

"Rose... And Nikolai." Ramona answered. They were both names that stood out to her from Asra's and Julian's lists. 

"Rose and Nikolai Devorak..."


	2. Chapter 2

"Babies!" Ramona startled awake at the word Faust yelled in her mind. Sure enough, Rose and Nikolai could be heard crying.

"Thanks, Faust." Ramona whispered. She got up, careful not to wake anyone else and padded to the twins' room. 

"It's okay, Mama's here." Ramona checked Rose first. "Are you hungry, mi florita? You and your brother are always so hungry." Ramona held Rose close, wondering how she was going to do this. She couldn't balance two newborns and get situated to breastfeed them. 

"Need some help?" Julian asked as he entered the room. 

"Yes, please. Help me get situated?" Ramona sat in a chair, criss-crossing her legs. Julian put down pillows on either side of her and helped her untie the front of her nightgown so she could hold Rose to her chest. When Rose latched on, Julian picked Nikolai up from his bassinet. 

"Don't cry, my little Kolushka. You'll get fed. See? Mama's right here." He helped get Nikolai into place and kneeled beside the chair. 

"They're so beautiful." Julian commented, running a finger over a soft cheek. A tiny hand reached up and held onto his finger. The twins looked up at their mother with their adorable brown eyes, same as their mother's.

"I almost can't believe we made these perfect little angels." Ramona said. 

"Why not?" Asra said as he appeared in the doorway. "Their mother is an angel." Asra crossed the room and plopped down beside Julian. 

"He has a point." Julian agreed. Ramona smiled and shook her head. 

"I think they're almost done. Could one of you grab the spit rags?" Ramona asked. 

"Why don't you go back to bed?" Asra suggested. "We'll burp them and put them back to sleep" 

"Are you sure?" Ramona asked. "I can do it..."

"You've done more than enough, my love." Julian added. "You gave birth to them, you have to feed them every two hours. Let us do this for you."

"Alright." Ramona handed a baby to each of them and retied her nightgown. "Goodnight, my loves." She kissed the babies' heads before going back to their bedroom for a couple hours of much-needed sleep. 

Julian and Asra slung a rag over their shoulder and helped coax the gas from their children's bellies. 

"Do you think we looked like this as babies?" Asra asked. 

"Probably." Julian answered. "I remember when Pasha was born and she looked just like Roza does, except for the eyes." Asra looked down at Nikolai on his shoulder.

"Wow, I looked like an old man." Asra muttered. Julian barked a laugh before covering his mouth. Rose began whimpering and Julian gently bounced her, apologizing in a soft voice. Rose's cries were cut off by a large burp that seemed to startle her. 

"That's my Roza! Do you feel better, my dear?" Rose stared up at him, no longer crying. "I'll take that as a yes." Nikolai burped as well, already half asleep. He certainly took after Asra, always easy to fall asleep, while Rose was the fussy one. 

Though Rose needed some extra attention, the twins were finally put to sleep and Julian and Asra crawled back into bed.

...

"Julian! Where is that boy?" Ramona jumped when Mazelinka walked right through the door like she owned the place. 

"He's helping out a client in town, Mazelinka. Can I help you with something?" Ramona asked.

"Yes. You can let me see my grandchildren." Nikolai laid in his bassinet behind the counter, fast asleep, while Rose sat in a sling tied across Ramona's chest. "I treat that boy like my own son and he doesn't tell me that his babies are born! I had to hear it from the baker!"

"Sorry, Mazelinka. We've been incredibly busy taking care of the twins." Ramona explained. 

"You did nothing wrong, dear. I want the apology to come from Ilya." She went over to Nikolai and picked him up. He seemed fine with this stranger, simply yawning and settling against her. 

"Such a sweet boy." 

"I can make some tea. Do you want some?" Ramona asked.

"Yes, please." Mazelinka sat at the kitchen table while Ramona boiled water for tea. Just then, Julian returned home. 

"Ramona, my darling!" Julian kissed her cheek and took Rose from her sling. "Hello, Roza! Did you miss your Papa? Ah! Mazelinka! I see you've met Nikolai."

"No thanks to you. When were you going to let me see them? When they have kids of their own?" She frowned at him.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mazelinka. These two are a handful, even with the three of us. They do everything in tandem - eat, poop, cry... except sleep. Kolushka likes to sleep all day while this little lady likes to stay awake." Rose smiled like she knew he was talking about her. Julian peppered her tiny face with kisses. Ramona watched all this with a smile. Julian was such a great father. 

She set tea cups down on the table and filled them with tea. 

"Ramona, look in my bag. I have presents for the little ones." Mazelinka said. Ramona did as she said and pulled out two knitted blankets. One had a scene of a lakeside with ducks embroidered into it, and the other bluebirds nesting in a tree.

"These are precious! Thank you, Mazelinka!" Ramona went upstairs to put the blankets into the twins' cribs. 

Meanwhile, Mazelinka continued her conversation with Julian. 

"You look happy." She commented.

"I am. I'm a free man, I'm doing what I love... I have a family..." Julian looked down at his daughter. "I never thought I would have this."

"And to think you almost let her go..." Mazelinka said. Julian blushed.

"Luckily, Ramona and Pasha showed me the error of my ways." Julian replied. He looked down at Roza once more. This precious angel wouldn't have been born if he'd let his fears get the best of him. He might have turned himself in, hung at the gallows. Asra and he would never have made up...

What a family they've made. 

...

"Come on, Kolushka! You can do it!" Asra was laying on his stomach beside Portia. The twins were facing them, on their bellies doing superb imitations of baby seals. The twins have been trying to crawl for days now and Asra decided to help them. By having a baby race. 

"Come to Aunty Pasha! Come on, Roza!" Portia encouraged her niece. The twins would get on their hands and knees, sway a little, then flop back down. "Come on, move those chubby legs! Show your brother what you're made of!"

"What are you two doing?" Ramona questioned upon entering the main room. 

"Using competition to motivate our children." Asra answered with an amused smile. 

"My money's on Roza." Portia responded.

"Nikolai is clearly gifted." Asra added. "He's going to be the first to crawl."

"You two are ridiculous. They've done everything together so far. They'll most likely crawl together as well." Ramona commented as she got started on dinner. 

Faust slithered across the floor of the shop, getting the attention of the twins. Pudgy limbs moved, awkward and shaky, to move the twins toward that one thing they weren't allowed to play with.

"They're doing it!" Asra cheered. Faust looked back and saw them coming after her.

"Help!" Faust slithered faster and coiled upwards until she was safe on Ramona's shoulders. Ramona laughed. She set aside the food and bent down to praise her children. 

"You're crawling! I'm so proud of you!" The twins smiled their gummy grins as their mother picked them up and kissed each fluffy head. She turned them around and had them crawl towards Asra and Portia.

"You do know we'll have to keep a sharper eye on them now, right?" Ramona said. She felt arms wrap around her waist, reminiscent of a moment long before their family was complete. 

"You make a wonderful mother, you know that?" Asra whispered in her ear. Ramona turned her head to kiss Asra's lips. 

"Only because I have you guys. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone." Ramona admitted. Asra smiled and kissed her shoulder before nudging her out of the way.

"Here, switch with me. Go play with the kids and I'll finish dinner." Asra offered. 

"I love you." Ramona gave him one last kiss before joining Portia and the twins. 

...

"Hello, little one." Nadia smiled at Nikolai, who crawled up to her and used her skirt to pull himself up. Now masters at crawling, the twins were now on their way to walking. Nadia held his pudgy hands and encouraged him to keep standing. Nikolai became entranced by her jewelry and took a single step forward before his legs gave out and sent him to the ground. 

Rose pulled herself up using a coffee table and was reaching for a fruit in a bowl. Ramona pulled her daughter back and sat her on her lap. 

"They're getting so big!" Nadia commented, picking Nikolai up and kissing his cheek. He giggled and reached for her necklace. 

"Yes, and they get into everything! Just yesterday, I turned around for one second and they got into the dresser and unloaded the entire bottom drawer." Ramona replied. Nadia laughed. 

"You two are quite the little troublemakers, aren't you?" Nikolai smiled a gummy smile. 

The adults talked and the second they were distracted, the twins crawled off. They always seemed to zero in on whatever caused the most chaos and in this moment, it was two fluffy creatures guarding the stairs. 

Mercedes and Melchior carefully observed the two human puppies that crawled towards them. They smelled like milk and magic. Tiny, sticky hands patted their fur and though it was unpleasant, they were no threat. Rose rubbed her face into silky fur, enjoying the feeling. Nikolai, on the other hand, tried climbing on top of the strange creatures. Melchior backed away from the rambunctious infant. Nikolai giggled and followed. The dog kept his distance, but Nikolai kept crawling after, thinking it was a game. 

Melchior sniffed at the child and smelled pomegranate on his hands. He lapped up the sticky remains, causing the child to laugh. Mercedes did the same to Rose.

Nadia, Ramona, and Portia heard the baby laughs echoing through the halls and realized the twins weren't with them. They sprinted down the hall and paused when they saw the twins with the unusual dogs. There was a moment of panic, then relief when they realized the twins were essentially getting a bath. 

"Strange. You would think babies would be the last things that Mercedes and Melchior were safe around." Nadia commented.

"Must be a twin thing." Portia shrugged.


	3. Chapter 3

Asra lounged in his favorite napping spot under the willow tree at the palace. He glanced down at the infant napping on his chest and smiled. Nikolai certainly took after him when it came to energy levels. It always surprised him how he could have helped in making such a perfect little human being. He ran a hand gently over his son's soft white curls. Nikolai's lips twitched into a smile as he dreamed, causing a soft chuckle to escape Asra. 

"I love you, Kolushka." Asra whispered, using the nickname Ilya had given him. Ilya always seemed to slip into his mother tongue when talking to the twins. He did it frequently enough that he and Ramona were beginning to pick up words and phrases as well. Between Ilya and Ramona speaking to them in their home languages, their children were going to be trilingual at this rate. Which was a good thing. Being a port city, most Vesuvians knew a small handful of languages in order to do business. 

Footsteps coming closer broke Asra out of the tranquil, sleepy bubble he had been in. Ilya came around a corner of the maze, Roza in his arms. 

"I thought I'd find you here. Some things never change, do they?" Julian asked with an amused smile. Upon seeing her brother, Roza let out a squeal. Kolushka answered back, before even opening his eyes. It was something they did whenever they were separated, since it happened so rarely. Their parents found it the cutest thing. 

"See, Roza? I told you we would find them." Julian said to his daughter. She smiled and wriggled in his grip, signaling she wanted to be let down. He set her down and she toddled to her other father. 

"Hello, beautiful." Asra squished her chubby cheeks with a smile. Roza spoke in baby talk to her brother, who babbled back. Ilya, meanwhile, plopped down beside Asra under the tree. They watched the twins toddle around together, until they found a rabbit to fawn over. 

"They certainly have a magic touch when it comes to animals, don't they?" Ilya commented. 

"Yeah. Roza refuses to sleep without Faust cuddled up with her, Lucio's dogs follow them around now, and wherever they go, they somehow get their hands on some small animal."

"We're going to have a million pets when they get older, aren't we?" Ilya questioned. 

"Probably. Though we could tell them to keep them here, since the twins are here more often than not." Asra said. 

"Good idea." They sat there, in the shade of the willow tree and imagined the trouble their children might get into in the future. 

.... 

"Say Papa. Come on, Roza, say Papa." 

"Mama."

"No, Papa. Say Papa." 

"Mama!" Julian groaned. The twins were starting to say real words, but so far, he was having no luck in getting them to say his name. They could say "Mama", "agua" when they were thirsty, and "ahm" when they were hungry. 

Julian turned towards Nikolai. 

"What about you, Kolushka? Can you say Papa?" Julian asked. 

"Baba?" Julian lit up. That was so close!

"No, like this: Pa-Pa!" 

"Bapa!" Nikolai giggled. Julian grinned and peppered kisses over his chubby cheeks. 

"See, Roza? Your brother said it. Can you say it? Papa!" Roza stared up at him with her big brown eyes. Julian sighed and touched her forehead with his. "It's alright. I know you'll do it eventually. You're still Papa's little girl." Roza plapped his cheeks with her little hands. He blew a raspberry against her cheek. Both twins laughed at the sound, which launched a tickle attack on both of them. 

Later, at dinner, they were all sitting at the table together. They talked about their day, the people they talked to, etc. Kolushka seemed to have felt left out of their conversation because he then shared his new word. 

"Bapa, ahm!" 

"Did he just say Papa?" Ramona asked. 

"Yes, my little Kolushka learned to say my name." He gave his son a kiss on top of his head before feeding him another small bite of potatoes. "But Roza was being stubborn about trying to learn." 

"Is this true, little lady?" Ramona questioned her daughter. Roza just smiled and reached for the food on her mother's plate. 

"Out of both of them, I would have thought Roza would have been the first to say your name." Asra commented. "You two are practically inseparable." 

"I know. I think she knows how to say it, she's just being silly. Aren't you, Roza?" Julian gently tickled her neck, making her laugh. 

"Roza, can you say Papa?" Ramona asked. 

"Mama!" Roza giggled. Julian shook his head in mock disappointment. 

"You know she'll say it the second she needs you." Ramona said. 

"Ahm!" Roza whined. 

Later that night, they put the kids to bed, and went to bed themselves. Julian was quite a light sleeper, so when he heard that call, he knew Roza needed him. 

"Papa!" His poor little girl had a nightmare. He picked her up out of her crib and sat with her in their rocking chair. 

"Don't worry, my dear. Papa's here."

... 

"Roza, would you please put your toys away?" Ramona was busy cleaning the house, readying it for Nadia's visit. However, the twins were making it difficult. They were now two years old and constantly getting into trouble. 

"Roza, come on. I need you to put your toys away. Nadia's coming over and we need the house to be clean." Ramona said firmly. Roza's lip quivered and she plopped to the ground, crying. 

"I can't! My patellas hurt!" she cried. Julian had taught her the names of the bones and some organs, so now she used those names, rather than just saying knee or elbow. It was adorable on a good day, but right now, Ramona had to deal with her tantrum. 

"Roza, you either put your toys away or you go to time-out." Ramona said sternly. 

"Nooooo!" Roza screamed. 

"What's wrong?" Asra had come from the back room to find his daughter crying on the floor. 

"She can't clean up her toys because her patellas hurt." Ramona informed. Asra snorted a laugh. "Don't laugh! Nadia's coming over and I need the place clean." 

"Okay, let me handle this." Asra walked over to his daughter and kneeled next to her. 

"Roza, sweetie, what's wrong?" Asra asked. 

"I wanna play." Roza sniffled. 

"Then how about we go play with your toys in your room? Mama needs the downstairs clean for Aunty Nadia, okay?" Asra explained. Roza nodded and took her dolls upstairs. Asra took her blocks and cleared the living room of toys. 

"Thank you." Ramona said when he came back downstairs. "Why are you so much better at this?"

"I'm not, you're just stressed right now." Asra kissed her forehead and smiled. "Hey, at least we know who inherited Ilya's dramatics." He grinned. 

"Who inherited my dramatics?" Julian asked as he walked in. "Am I late?" 

"No, Nadia isn't here, yet. But your daughter threw a tantrum because she didn't want to pick up her toys. Claimed her patellas hurt." Ramona said. Julian barked out a laugh. 

"She said that?" He grinned. 

"Yes. She is most definitely your daughter." Ramona said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUN FACT: When I was a young child, I used the "my patellas hurt!" excuse to get out of things. It didn't work. (Patellas are your kneecaps)


	4. Chapter 4

Asra felt nervous as he held the small child in his arms. The twins were sick with a fever, their chubby cheeks pink and damp with sweat and tears. Anytime they got so much as a cold, Asra couldn't help but worry. Since the plague, he would get nervous whenever anyone so much as sneezed. The plague was long gone now, but some scars still lingered. 

He paced the floor of the shop, bouncing the small child in his arms. The twins were very clingy and cried whenever they were set down. Tiny fingers played with the hairs at the nape of his neck and tiny sniffles came from the too-warm head on his shoulder. In the kitchen, Ramona and Mazelinka worked on a potion that would help the twins feel better. 

Julian sat at the dining table, holding the other twin against his chest and looking morose. Asra sat beside him. 

"I can't help but feel this is my fault. I've been treating flu patients all week. I must have brought it home. If only I could take their place. I'd rather be sick than watch them suffer through it." Julian said. 

"It's not your fault, Julian." Asra said. "The twins get into everything and put everything they see into their mouth. Even if you weren't a doctor, they would have caught it eventually." Julian sighed, then nodded. He pressed a kiss to his child's head and frowned at the heat coming from her skin. 

"Okay, it's done. We just have to wait for it to cool." Ramona said, taking off her apron. She looked at her babies, wishing she could do more for them. This was why she apprenticed under Julian all those years ago. She hated seeing people suffer. But it was only a mild flu and their temperature hasn't risen any higher. After the soup, they'll be back to relatively normal. 

When the soup was cooled a bit, Ramona scooped two bowls for the twins while Mazelinka poured the rest into jars to give to sick neighbors. 

"Here you go, my loves. This should make you feel better." Ramona said, setting the bowls in front of the kids. Asra and Julian took the spoons and began feeding their kids. They watched as they slowly perked up, eventually insisting they feed themselves. Soup was staining their faces, their clothes, Asra's and Julian's clothes, and the table around them. 

"Are you feeling better?" Ramona asked her babies. Twin smiles greeted her. Yep, they felt better. Their noses were still red and drippy, but at least they weren't achy and crying anymore. 

After their meal, the twins were given a bath and put down for a much-needed nap. However, they still refused to let go of their parents. It was a struggle to get them to sleep, but in the end, they compromised. Asra squeezed inside one of the cribs, his legs sticking out over the bars, with both twins curled up against him, using his chest as a pillow and being lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat. It was adorable. Ramona and Julian kissed all three before going back to help Mazelinka clean up the kitchen. 

..... 

Asra walked through the woods, both children in tow. He felt it was time to introduce the twins to Muriel. He was Asra's oldest friend and he had yet to meet them. Asra knew he tended to keep isolated, but the twins were important to him, as was Muriel. They needed to meet. 

He came upon the little hut and unlocked the door. Muriel was out, but the fire was still burning in the fireplace. He hadn't been gone long and probably would be back soon. He sat the twins on the bed and looked around. 

"I used to live here." Asra said. "It might not look like much, but to two kids who had nothing, it might as well have been a palace. The forest provided us with food and then Muriel started raising chickens. I started telling fortunes for money..." A smile formed across his lips. "And then I met your mother." 

Heavy footsteps could be heard outside the door. The door opened and Inanna trotted in, with Muriel close behind. He noticed Asra and the twins. 

"Hello, Muriel. I want you to meet... my kids." It almost felt strange to say. One day, he was a poor kid on the street and now he was grown with kids of his own. He had a family. "This is Rose and Nikolai."

Muriel gazed down at the twins. The twins, in turn, blinked up at the large man. 

"I'm... not good with kids." Muriel grumbled. 

"It's fine. Just think of them as big puppies." Asra said. Muriel hesitantly watched the toddlers. The twins lost interest and slid off the bed. They gravitated toward Inanna, who watched them with a steady gaze. 

"Don't touch her!" Muriel snapped. Despite her friendship with him, Inanna was still a wolf and if the kids hurt her, she might snap at them. Nikolai jumped and his little lip started trembling. He wailed, crying his little eyes out. Muriel looked guiltily to Asra. 

"Sorry." Rose, on the other hand, looked up at Muriel then reached out to touch Inanna. He frowned. 

"I said no." he said, this time less harshly. Rose smiled and did it again. This was just a game to her. Inanna didn't mind the twins. She licked at Nikolai's face, calming the boy and letting them pet her fur. 

"They're good with animals." Asra informed with a smile. 

Rose toddled to the large man and stared up at him. 

"Big." She said, pointing a little finger at him. She made grabby hands up at him. "Up! Up!" Muriel looked at Asra. 

"Go ahead, hold her." Asra encouraged. Asra picked up Nikolai, showing his friend how to hold her. Muriel carefully picked her up in his big hands and held her. Compared to him, she was a teeny-tiny little thing. He was afraid he might hurt her. Rose noticed the scar on his face. With a surprisingly delicate touch, she ran her hand over it. 

"Owie?" she asked. 

"It's a scar. It's already healed." Muriel said. Being just two years old, Rose had no idea what any of that meant. She leaned forward and gave the scar a wet kiss. 

"All better!" she smiled. Okay, Muriel thought. That was... adorable. 

"You should show them your chickens. They'll love them." Asra suggested. 

"Chichens?" Rose asked, looking excited. 

"Are you sure about this?" Muriel questioned. 

"Of course! They need bonding time with their Uncle Muriel." Asra smiled. Muriel glanced down at the child in his hands. She had Asra's smile. So did her brother. 

"Fine." Muriel grumbled. They all went around the back of the hut to the chicken coop. The twins got excited at the sight of the birds. There were eight fat red hens and a rooster scratching around the coop. Rose and Nikolai babbled to the chickens, constantly looking back at Asra to "Lookit!". 

Muriel needed to feed them and Rose insisted on helping. He let the twins toss some feed into the pen. They were surprisingly helpful with the chickens, though he was pretty sure Nikolai ate some of the feed when he thought no one was looking. 

When the visit was over, the twins actually cried, not wanting to leave. Somehow Muriel had made enough of an impression on the children that they didn't want to leave his side. Luckily, Asra distracted them by telling them to chase Faust on the way home. They instantly cheered up, toddling after Faust along the forest path. Once they were out of sight, Muriel sighed.

Sweet silence. 

... 

The twins loved their Aunty Pasha. They especially loved following her around the palace like little ducklings as she did her duties. She entertained them by telling stories, taking them on "treasure hunts" into Nadia's chambers, and on adventures through some hidden passageways. But as fun as she was, sometimes even their favorite aunt got replaced momentarily by a shiny new person. 

Portia and her tiny entourage made their way to the salon to check in on Nadia and her guests. A few of Nadia's sisters were visiting for a few days. As Portia opened the salon doors, the little rascals bounded straight for Nadia. She greeted them with a warm smile and open arms. 

"How are my favorite troublemakers today?" Nadia asked, hugging the children close and raining kissed over their cheeks. They giggled and struggled to get away. 

"Aww, Dia! Who are these precious dears?" Nasmira questioned. "We've never seen you like this around anyone before."

"They're my friends' children, and Portia's niece and nephew. So that makes me their honorary aunt." Nadia informed. 

"Oh! So these are the Devorak twins!" Nazali grinned. "I'd recognize that red hair anywhere. Julian's written to me about them. He's been trying to get me down here to meet them for the longest time. They're quite the marvel - twins born from two separate fathers! I wonder what the odds for that are?" 

"Their parents are two magicians and the most dramatic man I know. Of course their children would be absolutely unique and a genetic impossibility." Nadia said. 

The children, meanwhile, were dazzled by these new people. Rose was picked up by Nazali, while Nasmira cuddled with Nikolai and fed him tiny sandwiches from the silver tray on the coffee table. 

"Hey, little one. I taught your papa how to cut off limbs." Nazali said to Rose. 

"Nazali! You can't say that to a toddler!" Nasmira chastised. 

"Why not? Ilya said he reads his medical books to her all the time." Nazali replied. They held Rose close, tickling her. "You're gonna be a doctor like your papa, aren't you?" Rose giggled and wriggled away. 

Portia set down a tray that had just been delivered from the kitchen. The twins' eyes lit up at all the sweets. Macaroons, tiny strawberry-topped cakes, chocolate dipped shortbread cookies, chocolate cake balls... It was every child's dream on a silver platter. 

"Aunty Pasha, me want!" Rose pointed to the desserts. 

"Me, too!" Nikolai jumped up and Portia was assaulted with double sad pouty faces. It was too adorable. But she had been asked to to give them anymore sugar... Then again, she was weak to those cute faces. 

"You can each have one." Portia caved, holding up a single finger. "Pick one and come along, we have more things to do." Portia waited by the door for them. Rose picked a cake square and ran after her aunt. Nikolai picked up a macaroon and started eating it, but he didn't move from the table. He picked up another and pocketed it. 

"One for Mama, one for Papa, one for Pa, one for Mama 'Linka, one for-" 

"Kolushka!" Portia yelled for him. He jumped, grabbed a handful of cookies, stuffed them into his pockets, and ran after his aunt. Nadia and her sisters laughed at his antics as he ran out the door. 

"Ah, kids... Hey, remember that time Natiqa ate your birthday cake and tried to cover it up with rocks?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, no! We're losing him! Nurse, get the knife!" 

Julian, laying down on a bed of pillows on the floor of his childrens' room, peeked out of one eye to be sure his kids were using their blunt wooden toys and weren't really going to cut him open. His sweet little twins were playing Doctor and needed a patient. Seeing as Faust and Malak were already covered in bandages, he was next on their list of "patients". 

The toy knife sawed across his ribs, right on his ticklish spot. He yelped, wriggling away from the sensation, but little hands held him down. 

"Stop moving, Papa! You're dying!" Julian snorted, but laid still. 

"Sorry, love." 

"It's okay. Nurse, I need leeches!" Once again, Julian's eyes shot open. Kol was holding an empty bottle - thank goodness! - and Roza pretended to stick leeches to his face. His imaginary illness must be severe if it affected his ribs AND his face. 

"He lived! He's ALIVE!" Roza cackled maniacally, and Julian was starting to think she was spending just a little too much time with Nazali. She then wrapped him up with what he really hoped weren't his good bandages. 

"Now you gotta take your medicine." Roza reached for her waist bag - a gift from Nazali - and pulled out a cookie to give to him. 

"Thank you, Doctor." Julian said, accepting the treat. What Ramona didn't know won't hurt her... Then again, he's seen her snacking on cookies, as well. Though he should probably confiscate them before dinner. Julian bit into his "medicine" and walked out of the room to find Asra smirking at him. 

"New look?" Asra teased. 

"Better wipe that smirk off your face, you're next." Julian grinned, unwinding the bandages from his body. "Though the medicine after is definitely worth it." He waved his half-eaten cookie. Asra laughed. 

"How about later you and I play Doctor?" Asra said, low and close to Julian's ear. Julian's eyebrow quirked up, his old suggestive smile painted across his lips. 

"Ohohohoho! I promise to give you a very _thorough_ examination." Julian replied with a wink. They kissed, just as Roza opened her bedroom door. 

"Oh, no! Cooties! We gotta get you into surgery!" She pulled Asra into the room. Asra sent Julian a smile over his shoulder before the door shut between them. 

... 

The holidays were the best for the Devorak twins, especially since their parents all seemed to celebrate different ones. Which meant LOTS of presents and foods and best of all: grandma and grandpa. Kol was helping his mom make pozole and tamales when the knock sounded at the door. 

"I'll get it!" Rose yelled as she ran to the door. She unlocked the door and lit up when she saw who was on the other side. 

"Abuelos!" Rose squealed, jumping for joy. Kol gasped and jumped down from his chair to run at his grandparents. Aisha and Salim scooped the twins into their arms and showered them with affection. Chimes and Flamel wrapped themselves around the kids, as well, nuzzling them. The twins giggled at all the attention they were getting. 

"Where are your parents, little ones?" Aisha asked. The twins both pointed in different directions. One towards the kitchen and the other towards the stairs. 

"Mom, Dad, I'm in the kitchen!" Ramona called out. She wiped her hands on her apron and went to greet her in-laws. She never understood the jokes about monstrous in-laws. Ramona loved Aisha and Salim since the moment they met and they had only ever shown her love and support. 

"Long time no see." Ramona commented. "So how was Prakra?" 

"Fantastic!" Salim replied. "Dr. Satrinava is such a delight to work with. Speaking of delight, what is that delicious smell?"

"Me and Mama are making tamales!" Nikolai spoke up. 

"Tamales? The sweet corn ones we had last time?" Salim asked. 

"Uh-huh. I'm gonna eat all of them!" Nikolai giggled. Salim gasped. 

"Not if I eat them first!" Salim teased, tickling the boy's belly. 

"Mom! Dad!" Asra came down the stairs and greeted his parents with a warm hug. 

"Asra, it's good to see you, sweetheart." Aisha kissed his forehead. "Where's Julian?" 

"Getting dressed upstairs. When he heard you were coming, he wanted to look more presentable." Asra explained. Then Julian came downstairs, his hair freshly brushed and his clean white shirt buttoned up (for once). 

"Mom, Dad, good to see you again." Julian greeted. 

"Hello, Julian. Trying to impress us?" Aisha teased. 

"Always." Julian responded before hugging his in-laws. He then helped Ramona pack up the food to take to the palace. 

Once there, they were impressed by all the decorations. It was beautiful and classy and everything they expected from the palace. The spirit of the holidays. Tonight was a family get-together, before the palace doors opened up for the real festivities the next evening. Nadia's sisters were present, as was Mazelinka and Ramona's cousins and even Muriel, though he stayed near the door. 

They ate, they danced, they enjoyed the family they had built together. Everyone had a great time. 

Julian had been in the middle of a conversation with a couple of Nadia's sisters when he felt a tug on his jacket. He looked down to see his daughter. 

"Yes, Sweetheart?" 

"Papa, will you dance with me?" Rose asked. Julian broke out in a grin. 

"Of course, Princess." He excused himself from the conversation and led his daughter to the dancefloor. She stood on his shoes as he swept them around the dancefloor. Nikolai got jealous and whined that he wanted to dance, too. Ramona chuckled and told him to ask someone, then. Nikolai looked around the room, a thoughtful expression on his chubby face. Then he took off towards his new partner. He tugged on a skirt. 

"Auntie Nadia, will you dance with me?" Nikolai asked. 

"Of course. Let us show everyone here how it's done." Nadia led her tiny dance partner to the dancefloor and they twirled around each other. The kids were pretty good, even if they were inexperienced in ballroom dancing. Soon, though, they got bored and went in search of something new. Julian offered to continue dancing with Nadia. 

Nadia glanced over to Portia, who looked to be scheming something with the twins before running off with them in tow. 

"That can't be good." Julian commented, having seen the same thing. 

"Probably not. But it does give us a chance to speak." Nadia said. 

"About what?" Julian asked. 

"I'm planning on asking your sister to marry me." Nadia replied. Julian's eyebrows rose and a grin began to form on his lips. 

"I'd say welcome to the family, but we all considered you family long before this." Julian said. "Does Mazelinka know?" 

"Yes. In fact, she seemed to know before I even did. She waved her spoon at me and told me to hurry up and propose because Pasha isn't getting any younger."

"When are you going to ask her?" Julian asked. 

"Tonight. After everyone retires to their rooms. I wanted it to be a private affair. Then if all goes well, we'll announce it in the morning." 

"I'm so happy for you two." Julian said. He hugged her and pecked a kiss to her cheek. 

The next morning, Portia burst into the dining room squealing with excitement, showing off her new engagement ring. 

... 

It was the flower festival once again. When all of Vesuvia celebrated the coming of spring. This time of year, the shop was very busy, full of people requesting aphrodisiacs and love readings. Rose stared out the window, watching the revelers dancing and celebrating. 

"Why the long face?" Asra asked, coming up behind her. 

"Pa, can I have some money?" she asked. 

"Why?" Asra asked. 

"So I can buy my girlfriend some flowers." Asra looked at her in shock. 

"Sweetheart, you're five. How can you have a girlfriend already?" Asra questioned. Rose just shrugged. 

"I dunno. But she lives next door to Mama 'Linka and she's really pretty and I promised her I would get her flowers." Rose explained. 

"Oh, well, if you promised I suppose we should get some for her." Asra smiled. The kids were going to Mazelinka's anyway, so what was the harm in buying some flowers? 

Asra walked with his kids down the street, looking for a vendor who would sell them flowers. They soon found one - a kid barely into his teen years. Asra knew the struggle of being young and trying to survive, so he bought three bouquets from him. He then led the kids into a carriage and took them to Mazelinka's. Upon arrival, Asra gave a bouquet to Rose and told her to give it to her girlfriend. Rose hopped out and skipped over to the girl's house. 

Meanwhile, Asra knocked on Mazelinka's door. When she opened the door, Asra presented her with one of the remaining bouquets. 

"Sorry, Magician, you are much too young for me." Mazelinka deadpanned. Asra laughed. 

"I just wanted to thank you for taking them tonight." Asra explained. Mazelinka nodded and began filling up a vase with water for the flowers. 

"You three deserve a night alone. When was the last time you got one? When the kids were conceived? I know having kids can take the privacy out of your life. You have no idea how many times Ilya ruined a romantic night." Asra really burst out laughing. Oh, Ilya... 

"Thanks again, Mazelinka." Asra kissed the twins goodbye and returned to the carriage. When he returned home, the shop light was out. Perfect. He entered and found a sprinkling of Rose petals that led from the door to the stairs. He took his time with setting the bouquet in a vase before following the rose petals up the stairs to their bedroom. Inside, he found a beautiful scene with pink lace and silk rope waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know those cute panties with a heart cut out of the butt? Yeah, Julian's and Ramona were wearing matching sets. And nothing else ;)


End file.
